There’s loads of school soccer to be watched in 2025. Because of an expanded School Soccer Playoff including extra video games to an already loaded schedule, not less than two groups might be taking the sector most weekends between Aug. 23 and Jan. 19.
I, thankfully, receives a commission to cowl school sports activities, so I cannot personally be skipping out on any weekends. However I’d additionally at all times encourage somebody to observe as many school soccer video games as doable. In any case, these six(ish) months fly by in a blur, and then you definately’re left lacking one of the vital fascinating sports activities on this planet till subsequent August rolls round.
However I additionally perceive that most individuals have lives outdoors of school soccer and plans that can not be missed. There’s completely nothing fallacious with being an informal observer.
So, as tv schedules for the 2025 season are unveiled, it felt acceptable to make a type of viewer’s information for these informal observers. I broke down every week of the faculty soccer season into tiers, primarily based on watchability.
On the high are these weeks you actually do not need to miss, whereas the decrease tiers solely maintain curiosity to people who are really obsessed.
Tier 1: Change into one together with your sofa
Put your cellphone on don’t disturb. Inform your family members to not be involved if they do not hear from you till Sunday. Make certain your fridge is stocked.
Week 1
Featured video games: Texas at Ohio State; Alabama at Florida State; LSU at Clemson
There are higher weekends on the 2025 school soccer schedule — as we’ll see — however, come on, it is Week 1. It is the primary full day of soccer of the season. You do not need to do the rest moreover kick your toes up and preserve your eyes glued to the tv for 12 hours. Texas-Ohio State and LSU-Clemson are nationwide title-caliber clashes, as properly. These are the kind of nonconference clashes that goals are fabricated from.
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Week 3
Featured video games: Florida at LSU; Georgia at Tennessee; Clemson at Georgia Tech; Texas A&M at Notre Dame
SEC play begins with a bang this season. Florida’s a School Soccer Playoff darkhorse because of a robust offseason below coach Billy Napier. The Gators could have an actual likelihood to show their price towards an LSU group with nationwide title aspirations. Although Tennessee’s finished higher towards its conventional rivals below Josh Heupel, he nonetheless has but to recover from the hump towards Georgia. Clemson and Georgia Tech will each issue closely into the ACC dialog, whereas Texas A&M and Notre Dame do battle as two of school soccer’s high manufacturers. It is already an enormous day — and that is with out mentioning video games like Tulane vs. Duke, which is able to see Blue Devils quarterback Darian Mensah journey to tackle his former group within the Inexperienced Wave.
Week 7
Featured video games: Georgia at Auburn; South Carolina at LSU; Oklahoma at Texas; Florida at Texas A&M; Ohio State at Illinois
The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry and the Pink River Rivalry each in the identical day. Auburn and Oklahoma additionally each have coaches — Hugh Freeze and Brent Venables, respectively — which can be dealing with critical strain to show issues round. A rivalry win might set the tone. Few groups have generated extra preseason hype than Illinois, which returns a plethora of standout gamers from this system’s first 10-win group since 2001. Ohio State might be an actual litmus check for Illinois’ hopes as a nationwide contender.
Week 10
Featured video games: Georgia at Florida; Oklahoma at Tennessee; Penn State at Ohio State; Arizona State at Iowa State
This can be a large week for the Large 12. Arizona State and Iowa State are set to face off in a 2024 Large 12 Championship Recreation rematch. Each are hoping to make it again to Arlington, and this common season conflict might go a great distance towards deciding one of many spots. Elsewhere, preseason darling Texas Tech travels to face a Kansas State squad seeking to break via as soon as extra below coach Chris Klieman. That is two video games that includes the projected high 4 groups within the Large 12. That is to not point out Penn State’s journey to Ohio State, which can very properly be a conflict of top-five groups.
Week 14
Featured video games: Texas A&M at Texas (Friday, Nov. 28); Alabama at Auburn; Clemson at South Carolina; Ohio State at Michigan
As with Week 1, the final full slate of the common season wants little clarification. That is rivalry weekend. A few of school soccer’s most ferocious feuds spill out onto the sector as Week 14 progresses. The expanded playoff format provides a ton of strain on high of the pure depth current in a rivalry. Groups like Texas A&M, Auburn, Clemson and Michigan — simply to call just a few — might be taking part in for at-large bids at this level within the yr. There’s appointment viewing in each time slot.
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Tier 2: End that undertaking you’ve got been laying aside
As long as it would not take you away from the home and likewise would not take you all day.
Week 2
Featured video games: Michigan at Oklahoma; Iowa at Iowa State
Sherrone Moore’s return to alma mater Oklahoma and Michigan’s first actual check because it seems to be to bounce again from a relaxation yr is the true storyline this of this week. Plus, it is exhausting to not admire the splendidly bizarre soccer on show each time Iowa and Iowa State take the sector. There is a couple different video games price monitoring, like Kansas at Missouri or Baylor at SMU, however nothing earth-shattering.
Week 4
Featured video games: Florida at Miami; Michigan at Nebraska
Final season, Miami used an early season immolation of Florida to catapult itself to a 10-win season. May the Gators do one thing related this in a pivotal yr for Billy Napier and this system? That is additionally the week of (former) Pac-12 rivalries, as Oregon State travels to Oregon and Washington State hosts Washington.
Week 5
Featured video games: Alabama at Georgia; LSU at Ole Miss; Oregon at Penn State
If this season’s Alabama-Georgia sport is something like 2024’s version, we’re in for fairly a deal with. LSU and Ole Miss are equally located SEC applications. Each have had loads of success lately, however they’re nonetheless trying to find their first playoff look below their present coaches. Week 5 will go a great distance in the direction of separating them. Oregon desires to show that final yr’s Large Ten title wasn’t a case of newbie’s luck, whereas James Franklin nonetheless has to win a “large one,” so there’s lots to trace between the Geese and the Nittany Lions. Just a few major occasions in Week 5, however the undercard is comparatively sparse.
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Week 8
Featured video games: Tennessee at Alabama; Ole Miss at Georgia; SMU at Clemson; UNLV at Boise State
The “Third Saturday in October” has develop into considered one of school soccer’s most hotly contested rivalries lately. Two of the final three installments have been determined by one possession, and Tennessee’s win towards Alabama final season propelled the Vols to their first CFP look in program historical past. Week 8 additionally options two convention title sport rematches: SMU and Clemson battled it out for the ACC final yr, whereas Boise State locked down a spot within the playoff by downing UNLV within the MWC Championship Recreation.
Week 12
Featured video games: Clemson at Louisville (Friday, Nov. 14); Texas at Georgia; Florida at Ole Miss
The way in which issues are trending, Texas and Georgia are going to be battling it out on the high of the SEC for years to come back. The 2 performed twice final yr, leading to a Georgia sweep that culminated within the SEC Championship Recreation. Each Florida and Ole Miss have playoff upside in 2025 — and each might very properly make it — however a head-to-head consequence might show essential when deciding at-large bids.
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Tier 3: In case you HAVE to plan for a fall marriage ceremony…
Not supreme, however you possibly can make it work throughout these weeks if completely essential. Nonetheless, preserve a display screen helpful.
Week 6
Featured video games: Texas at Florida; Boise State at Notre Dame
That is a kind of weeks, earlier within the season, the place the convention pairings do not transfer the needle a lot. Florida might make an actual assertion towards Texas and Boise State and Notre Dame (not a convention sport) each made the playoff final yr. There’s not a lot outdoors these video games although. North Carolina vs. Clemson deserves some recognition because it pits an precise septuagenarian (Invoice Belichick) towards a septuagenarian at coronary heart (Dabo Swinney).
Week 9
Featured video games: Texas A&M at LSU; BYU at Iowa State
There’s just a few rivalry video games featured in Week 9, although not ones that draw high billing — not less than within the fashionable sport. Michigan travels to Michigan State, driving a three-game profitable streak towards the Spartans. Kentucky, which hosts Tennessee, has misplaced six of its final seven towards the Vols. Neither of these video games will do a lot to sway the nationwide panorama.
Week 11
Featured video games: LSU at Alabama; Iowa State at TCU
LSU-Alabama is sort of at all times a thrill-a-minute expertise, even when the Crimson Tide have gained comfortably in every of the previous two years. That is about the one sport in Week 11 that informal viewers must clear their schedule for. Different matchups like Florida State vs. Clemson have misplaced their luster, on condition that the Seminoles are coming off a disastrous 2024 marketing campaign.
Week 13
Featured video games: Tennessee at Florida; USC at Oregon
School soccer’s rivalry weekend is likely one of the most fun weeks in sports activities. The week beforehand? Not a lot. Loads of energy soccer applications are likely to schedule a “cupcake” opponent — one which it ought to beat with ease — on this spot after an extended and arduous common season. There is a couple intriguing convention clashes, together with a Large Ten (nonetheless feels bizarre to say) tilt between USC and Oregon, however Week 13 ought to be largely skippable.
Tier 4: For The Sickos
Week 0
Featured sport: Iowa State at Kansas State (Aug. 23; Dublin, Eire)
Week 0 is a university soccer establishment. It is the primary style of the game that all of us love after months of completely nothing. It is the oasis within the desert. It is excellent for the true sicko followers. Farmageddon in Eire simply feels proper. Iowa State and Kansas State are additionally each reputable Large 12 contenders this yr, so this season opener means so much. In any other case, although, Week 0 would not have any video games that may draw vital non-regional or non-sicko curiosity.